


Pinky Promises

by zarrati



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-29
Updated: 2015-10-29
Packaged: 2018-04-28 19:53:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5103716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zarrati/pseuds/zarrati
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first pinky promises Leslie ever made to Ben and each of their children - ones just as serious and meaningful as the pinky promise she made to Ann that launched their friendship/the series.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pinky Promises

1.

Ben hangs back as Leslie gathers the last of her things after the Harvest Festival presentation.

“Soooo,” he draws out, “that’s a pretty big risk you’re taking.”

“Yup,” she says dismissively, “but it’ll work. You’ll see.”

He sighs and walks towards her. “Look, Leslie, I admire your drive and commitment, really, I do, but are you sure about this? I mean, these are your  _jobs_  on the line. You’re risking your entire department-”

“Either way, Pawnee won’t lose any money on it, so why do you care?” she snaps and Ben flinches. “You’ve made it perfectly clear that we’re not high priority anyway, so you win regardless.”

“This isn’t about winning anything. I don’t want the Parks Department gone any more than you do, but I can’t change facts. There is no money in the budget.”

“I get that.” Leslie says. “And I know that we might not be as important as all of the other departments according to your “chart”, but Pawnee still needs us. We provide services to the city that no one else does. We make people happy, and you can’t put a price on that.”

His lips quirk up ever so slightly. “I guess that means you’re gonna go through with it.”

“Your damn right it does, and it’s gonna be awesome and you’ll never have to worry about money for the Parks Department again.”

“Is that a promise?” he teases, but his smile falls when her face remains deathly serious and she sticks out her pinky finger. He looks at it, confused. “What’s this? What are you doing.”

“I’m gonna make you a pinky promise right now.”

“Leslie, you don’t have to  _actually_  promise me.”

She keeps her pinky extended. “I don’t care. I want to.”

He stares out her finger for a few seconds before putting down his padfolio and wrapping his own pinky around hers.

“I, Leslie Knope, pinky promise to you, Ben Wyatt, that the Harvest Festival will be a success and save the Parks Department.” With a nod, she pulls back her hand and glances at the clock. “Well, I have a brainstorming session to get to.”

“Right, well, let me know if you need my help with anything.”

She eyes him skeptically. “Seriously?”

“Of course. Like I said, I want this to work out, too. Besides, now I have to make sure you keep your pinky promise.”

For the first time since the Freddie Spaghetti concert, she gives him a genuine smile.

* * *

2.

Leslie’s packing a suitcase for her business trip when she hears five-year-old Sonia sniffle from her spot on the bed.

“Hey, Soso, what’s wrong?” she asks, making her way to her daughter. She lifts her chin and wipes the few tears that have already fallen. “I’m only gonna be gone for a little while. It’s just like before. I’ve taken trips before, remember?”

“Are you sure you’re gonna wanna come back?” Sonia chokes.

“What? Of course I’ll want to come back, sweetheart. I’ll spend everyday missing you and your brothers and daddy like crazy. Why would you ever think that I wouldn’t?”

“B-because, my f-friend Kimmy’s mommy got tired of being a m-mommy and she packed and left them and n-never came back. And I’m scared that you might get tired of being a mommy too, and-and…” she can’t finish the sentence before sobbing uncontrollably.

Leslie pulls her little girl into her arms and slowly rocks her, pressing butterfly kisses into her golden hair. “Shh, it’s okay, baby. I would never, never, ever do that, okay? I love you all so much. I couldn’t live without you even if I tried.”

“Do you p-promise?”

Leslie gently pulls Sonia away from her, smoothing hair away from her wet face. “I am going to make you a very special promise, okay?” She links her little finger with Sonia’s, and her daughter stares at it in wonder and reverence. She already knows the sanctity of what they are about to do.

“You’re gonna make me a pinky promise?”

“You bet I am. This is the greatest type of promise I could ever make, and I pinky promise that I will never willingly leave you.” She seals the pinkie promise with a kiss to her daughter’s cheek. “You feel better?”

Sonia nods shyly and wipes her nose with her sleeve. “Yes, Mommy.”

“Good. Now, you want to help me pick out the outfit I’m gonna wear for my big meeting?”

Sonia jumps off of the bed and runs towards the closet, all tears now long forgotten.

* * *

3.

Wesley’s feet dangle from the large chair in the waiting room, and he swings them violently in his boredom.

“Wesley, honey, please stop hitting the chair with your feet,” Leslie says calmly, not looking up from the folder in her hands.

He huffs loudly and crosses his arms. “But I don’t wanna be here, Mommy. Can’t we just go home?”

“I know you don’t, but we need to get your eyes checked again, remember. See if you need new glasses.”

“I don’t need glasses at all nomore. So, we can go.”

Leslie turns and raises her eyebrows. “First of all, it’s  _any_ more, and is that so? I didn’t know you were in Kindergarten learning to be an eye doctor.”

The little boy scowls and Leslie has to laugh because he looks so much like his father. “I just know I don’t need glasses. They’re stupid and I don’t like them and I don’t want them.”

Her brow furrows and she sets her papers aside. “Hey, buddy, what’s up? You know you need your glasses to see, so why all of a sudden are you pretending you don’t.”

He turns away and shrugs. “I just don’t.”

She reaches for him and gives a little grunt when she lifts him and pulls him onto her lap. “Wow, you’re getting so big.”

“It’s cuz I’m a big boy already. Daddy told me so. And since I’m a big boy, I don’t need glasses n- _any_ more.”

She laughs and presses a kiss to his mousy-brown hair. “I don’t think that’s how it works. Now, come on, tell me the  _real_  reason.”

He looks down and plays nervously with his fingers. “It’s just…I’m the only kid in school that has ‘em. No one else does, not even Soso or Stevie. And sometimes the other kids call me names.”

Leslie was livid. “That’s terrible. Oh, no, I’m gonna go to the school and-”

“No, Mommy, please don’t. The other kids will think I’m a tattle-tail. ‘Sides, when the teacher saw, they got in trouble. And Soso said she’d punch Bobby W. in the face if he made fun of me again.” His face fell. “Oh, I wasn’t supposed to tell you that.”

“Okay, well, I think I need to have a little talk to your sister about when it is and is not appropriate to threaten someone, but we’ll deal with that later. But, sweetheart, just because some other kids make fun of you, doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with your glasses. They are very important, and they help you see better, right?”

“Yeah,” he begrudgingly agrees. “But what if I get to be really, really old like you and everyone  _still_  makes fun of me for them?”

It’s Leslie’s turn to give her son a scowl. “Hey, I’m not  _that_  old,” she nudges his arm. “But, I can promise you that even though it seems bad now, it’s gonna get better. Soon, no one’s gonna care that you wear glasses at all.”

“Can you really promise that?”

“Of course I can.” She pauses. “You know what? I’ll do even better than that. Stick out your pinky.”

With wide eyes, Wesley holds out his finger. “You’re really gonna  _pinky promise_  me?” he asks in a low voice as though they are sharing the biggest of secrets.

“Yup,” she winks. “And anytime you get upset when people say mean things about you, you remember what’s happening right now. Even if it doesn’t look like it, it  _will_  get better. I can’t go back on a pinky promise.”

Wesley pulls his hand away and stars in wonder at his little finger. “Wow,” he whispers to himself just as his name is called to come back to the exam room.

Leslie stands up and holds out her hand for her son to take. “You ready, big guy?”

He looks back and forth between his own hand and his mother’s before nodding firmly.

“Yeah, I’m ready.”

* * *

4.

Leslie walks out side and finds Stephen moping on the front stoop, kicking stray rocks with his shoe.

“Why the sad face?” she asks, taking a seat next to him.

He just shrugs. “Nothing.”

“Nope, not buying it. You know you can always tell me what’s upset you.”

“Even if it was something you or Daddy did?”

“Did me or Daddy do something to make you sad?” she asks, concerned.

Another noncommittal shrug.

“Well, I know me and Daddy wouldn’t ever try to upset you on purpose. Why don’t you tell me what’s wrong and we can try to fix it.”

He stares at the grass, uncooperative.

“Okay…. well, was it Daddy that upset you?”

He shakes his head no.

“So, it was me?”

A slow nod.

She wracks her brain, but for the life of her she can’t figure out what she could have done. She hasn’t even had to force him to eat his vegetables lately.

“I’m really sorry, sweetheart, but I don’t know what I did, and we can’t try to work it out unless you tell me. If it helps, I won’t get mad.”

“It’s just…Soso and Wes both told me that you made them pinky promises.”

“Yes, I did.” She’s still not sure where he’s going with this.

“H-how come you never made  _me_  one?”

“Oh, honey.” She gathers him up in her arms. “Is that what you’re upset about?”

She feels him nod against her chest. “Did I do something wrong? You’re always saying that you love all of us the same, but-”

“I  _do_  love all of you the same. I didn’t make them promises and not you because I love you any less. It just never came up with us before.” She runs her hand through his hair before pulling away. “Okay, how about this? Right here, right now, you get your very own pinky promise.”

He immediately perks up. “Really! Anything I want?!”

“Not so fast there, slick,” she chuckles. “We will both agree on something.”

“Can you promise me that I’ll get everything I want for Christmas?”

“No.”

“Can I jump out of air planes like that guy I saw on TV, or eat dessert for dinner everyday?”

“Also, no.”

“Then I don’t know what to ask for.”

“Stephen, a pinky promise is something very special. It’s more than just asking for stuff. It’s something that can last forever.”

“What do you think our pinky promise should be?”

Leslie tapped a finger against her lips as she mulled over the question. “How about this? Since this got you upset today, I pinky promise that I will always love you just as much as your brother and sister. No matter what happens as you grow up, no matter what, I will always, always love you and be there for you. And anytime you feel like this, you can come to me and we’ll work it out.”

Stephen thinks it over. “You sure I can’t have dessert for dinner?”

“As awesome as that sounds, you know your father would never allow it.”

“Okay,” he gives in. “I like your promise, too.” He smiles widely and puts out his finger.

“There,” Leslie says as their fingers curl around one another. “You feel better?”

“Yeah.”

“Good, and remember, we made a pinky promise, so anytime you want to talk to me, you can.”

He nods and launches himself into his mother’s arms in a tight hug. “Thank you, Mommy.”

“Anytime. Now, lets get inside and see what Daddy made for dinner, okay?”

“Is it dessert?!”

She ruffles his hair and laughs. “No, it’s not, but tomorrow  _I’m_  cooking, so you never know.”

Her little boy giggles, and Leslie’s sure she couldn’t possible love him any more even if she tried.


End file.
